(a) Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to an apparatus and method for generating a virtual sound source for monitoring the operating state of a fuel cell stack. More particularly, it relates to an apparatus and method for generating a virtual sound source for monitoring the operating state of a fuel cell stack, which monitors in real time the deviation and deterioration of a plurality of cells in a fuel cell stack during operation, and expresses the results as a chord or different sounds, thus allowing a driver to easily recognize the operating state of the fuel cell stack.
(b) Background Art
A fuel cell vehicle as a zero-emission vehicle and an electric vehicle using a battery provide various advantages including an improvement in fuel efficiency, a reduction in noise, etc., and have attracted much attention as next generation vehicles.
Regardless of these advantages, the fuel cell vehicle and the electric vehicle do not generate noise that can be heard by a driver or pedestrian, and thus a concept of a virtual sound source is introduced.
Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2009-0116320 discloses a sound generating apparatus for a fuel cell vehicle, which generates in real time a sound that a driver wants to hear so as to satisfy the driver's emotional needs and to allow a pedestrian to recognize the sound, thus preventing safety accidents.
Japanese Patent Publication No. 1999-288291 discloses an electric vehicle driven by a motor, which generates a dummy sound according to the operating state of the vehicle, to attract a driver's attention.
While the above-described technologies generate a sound that increases and decreases in proportion to the speed or power of the vehicle to allow the driver and pedestrian to audibly recognize the vehicle, the artificial sound is played repeatedly, which is monotonous. Moreover, as many vehicles generate the same monotonous sound, there is no distinction between vehicles, resulting simply in noise.
While there is an advantage that the simple dummy sound attracts attention of the driver and pedestrian, the same sound generated by many vehicles acts as a noise, and it is difficult for the driver to recognize the operating state of the vehicle.